Daily: The Merchant Bar @ Armada Hotel, Petaling Jaya

Armada Hotel presents their latest refreshed, restyled and rebranded 'The Merchant'. Many of you may have known it as 'Merchant Pub' before it underwent a major makeover to become a hybrid of cosmopolitan New York bar and an updated London gentlemen's club.

The Merchant uses copper and wood as its interior, exuding elegance and style. Here, they serve up an enormous range of whiskies in addition to a full range of other liquors such as beer, brandy, gin, vodka and wine. The bar also offers an extensive menu of main courses and light bites to delight palates of all kind.

There are many different spaces around this bar, such as the balcony which overlooks the highway and the beautiful PJ skyline. Or, you can just hang out in the Cigar Lounge while listening to the soft sounds of smooth jazz and seductive lounge music.

Entertain yourselves and your friends in the all new 'The Merchant Live' with three private suites themed red, gold and silver. These suites cater up to 30 pax capacity where guests can revel in plush and roomy comfort, and sing their heart out while entertaining in style and privacy. Perhaps those who doesn't want to sing can opt for the Phoenix Darts Machine or the British Pool Table in the biggest suite. With 'The Merchant Live', planning any corporate functions or party is as easy as 123!

Live performances at The Merchant Live starts from 9.00pm onwards from Wednesdays to Saturdays and there is no cover charge. Closed on Sundays.

Some of the bites we had during the launch yesterday!

Group picture :)

The Merchant
The Armada Petaling Jaya
Level 1, Lot 6, Lorong Utara C, Section 52
46200 Petaling Jaya
Selangor Darul Ehsan Malaysia

Tel : +603 7954 688 ext 4629 / 4554
Email : fnb@armada.com.my
Open daily : 1600 – 0100 (Monday – Sunday)
No cover charge

Food: Bari Uma Ramen @ Jaya Shopping Centre

So, these days I have been to a few Japanese restaurants claiming to serve authentic ramen, but unfortunately, it still didn't manage to entice my tastebuds. Little did I know that after my visit to Bari Uma Ramen, my perception on ramen would change drastically.

Bari Uma Ramen is now available in Malaysia but bear in mind, it is not a new ramen house. In fact, they have two shops in Singapore with Japanese chefs whipping up gorgeous bowls of ramen and about 40 outlets in Japan itself. Just a note for the uninitated, Bari translates to super while Uma means tasty. 

Bari Uma boasts on their chewy ramen and their thick soup base. Their pork slices which are imported from Spain are grilled, instead of roasted to bring out the best in the meat. 

Here are what I've tried during my visit:

Noritama-Uma Ramen

This was a bowl of heavenly goodness. The Original ramen I chose was just right for me, springy but not too firm. The soup broth was very thick and I found that it was very flavorful. The eggs which were 50% cooked was so good that they literally melt as you take a bite. 

Kara-Uma Ramen

To be honest, this tasted more like curry noodles. However, the best part of this dish was the 3-layer pork which had a little fat for that juiciness needed to compliment this bowl of ramen. 

Gyoza (Japanese Pan fried Dumpling)

Usually, I don't enjoy gyoza because I hate dumplings. But, I tried this and they were very juicy. Take one bite and you'll know what I mean. I like the dumpling dough which wasn't too thick or floury. Here's a tip, try it with some soy sauce to enhance the flavour of these dumplings.

Negi Mayo Gyoza

This was a little spicy for me and had too much mayonnaise. Since I'm a health conscious person, I would forgo this in my next order. However, for those who don't mind to indulge once in a while, give this a try.

Yakitori Combo

Yakitori is made up of bite-sized of marinated chicken pieces grilled on skewers. It is pretty similar to our Malaysian 'satay' but this one was different because Bari Uma uses pork as well instead of the usual chicken. So juicy and fragrant!

Ishiyaki Chaofan Chashu

I find this pretty unique because it was served in an authentic hot stone bowl. You can even mix the ingredients and literally, cook it yourself in the bowl. It was a bowl of steaming hot fried rice and I enjoyed this very much because they used the special Japanese short grain rice.

Bari-Uma Ramen

Jaya Shopping Centre, L3-11, Level 3, Jalan Semangat,

46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Contact Number: +603-7932-2958

Operating Hour: Monday-Sunday (10am-10pm)